Sheet-feeding machine



Aug. 2, F L cRoss SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed NOV. 15, 1922 liuerdvm I KIM-b21655: M M,

Patented Aug. 2, 192 7.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK, L. cieoss, or PORTWASHINVGTON', NEW YORK, nssrenon TO cnossrnrnn FEEDER COMPANY, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS. I

I snnnnrnnnme MACHINE.

Application filed November 15, 1922'. ,serial no. 601,112.

The invention relates to paper feeding machines which separate individual sheets from a pile orbank and more particularly to that type'o'f; machine known as 'comber feeders.

In operating comber feeders, particularly on color work; it has been founddesirable or necessary to blow air between the sheets at the topof the pile or in other words, to wind the sheets in orderthatthe sheetsmay be properly separated by the combing wheel.

The extent .to which the sheets should be.

' crease in the electricity or variation in the atmospheric conditions oroharacter of the printed matter; they require less; winding.

The extent to which the sheets are fanned out-or separated prior to being acted upon by;;the :combers also atfectslthe extent to which they should be winded. The blowers heretofore commonlyutilized for wind ng the sheets have been constructed and arranged to deliver a continuous current of air against the upper edge of the pile at the dea sired point or points andhavebeen provided with regulating valves or devices bypwhich the operator in try regulate or adjust .the ,blast ofairto suit the conditions and character of sheets inthe pile being operated upon. Since thecondition of the sheets may and usually does vary widely in different parts of the bank or pile during the run, these devices have not proved satisfactory. and it has been necessary for the operator to continually watch the effect of the blowers onthe pile and tomake frequent adjustments in order to secure even approximatelysatisfactory "results. i e

The present invention overcomes the objections to these P1101 constructions and in.

sures the proper action of the blowers and successful winding ot the successive sheets by ,so regulating or controllingthe blowers that ablast of airis directed against the edge of the sheets during each sheet separating cycle for a period of time which is de- "ing operated on by the comber.

pendent upon the condition of the sheets be- Since the interval during which the combing wheels act on the pile in advancing the top sheets to the cut-outs which throw the combing wheels out of action varies with the'condition oi the sheets being operated upon by the combing wheels, it is preferred toregulate the time of action of the blower or blowers in accordance with the combing interval so thatthe air blast against the edge of the sheets is reduced'or shut otl' as the. combers ceaseto act and is restored when the combers are again thrown into action. In the illustrated term of the invention the blower noz- -zle which delivers the air blast against the edge or the sheets is'connected to rise and tall wlth the combe'r wheel and is so adjusted that it is lifted above the top of the pile when. the combing wheel is raised and is lowered into position to deliver the air blast 2 against the edges of the sheet at the top of the pile when the combing wheel is lowered i This manner of controlling onto. thepile, the blast of air delivered against the edge of the pile not only varies its action on the sheets in accordance with the condition of,

the pile at the point being operated upon by the comber but the vertical movement of the blast alsotends to insure the blowing of the air under every sheet in the top of the pile and thus secures a more'ellective separation and uniform winding of the sheets. 1 The preferred form of the 'lIlVIllJlOIl is" shown in thedrawings in which F1g.1 is a side elevation of so much of a'paper feeding niachineas is necessary to illustrate the appllcation oi the invention thereto; F1g'. 2 1s a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1

andFig.- 3 is a rear elevation of one of the blowers.

.In the' drawings the IDVEDtlOlllS shown appliedto the tlLltOllltltlC sheet feeding machine known [as the Cross paper tefder. having substantially the construction and mode of operation shown and described "in Patent No. 812,260, February 13, 1906. In

this j machine a bank or pile of feathered sheetsQ. is acted upon by two independently controlledcombing wheels, one of which is indicated at 4. These combing wheels are lowered upon the sheets at'regular intervals and each independently raised from the pile byeut-out mechanism controlled by the front edge of the sheet when it is advanced into position to be acted upon by the delivery rolls. The means for lowering the combing wheel upon the pile of sheets-comprisesa'cam 6 secured to the continuously rotating cam shaft'S and arranged to engage a roll on the end of an arm 10 which is secured to a rock shaft 12. The shaft 12 also carries an arm li in which is journaled a rock shaft 16. The inner end of the rock shaft is connected by a link 18 with a pivoted frame 20 carrying the comber wheel 4, and is also connected by toggle links with a pivoted foot 24: which is adaptedto engage the top of thepile. The outer end Y of the rock shaft is provided with an arm 26 connectedby a linl: 28 with a lever 30 loosely mounted on the cam shaft 8 and held fore and aft adjustment on a rod 56. The rod 56 is secured in the rear end of an arm 58, the forward end of which is secured to the rock shaft 12. With the nozzle thus 'mounted upon the rock shaft 12 itwill be raised to bring its delivery mouth above the top of the pile and thus reduce and shutoff the action of the blast upon the pile when thecut-out is operated by the front edge of the sheet to lift the combing wheel and thus throw it out of action. The nozzle will be restored to active position when the rock shaft 12 is rocked to lower the combing wheel onto the pile and again throw it into action. The period of action of the blower upon the edge of the sheets, will, thus be regulated and determined by the combing in h P t illCliCHtfiCl in ig: 1 against interval, and since this interval varies with the tension ,of aspri'ng 32 by a latch ll! the condition of the sheets in that part of The latch carries the trip finger 36 adapted th il b i t d o by the mbers t0 116 {170F055 ep t Of Sh d 11505 t the action of the blower will be regulated in carries a pawl 38 secured to the shaft e0 which carries the trip finger. and arranged to be engaged with the teeth of a ratche- 42 on the cam shaft by the engagement of} the front edge of the sheet with the tripf finger. When this occurs the ratchet acts to disengage the latch so that the spring 3 straightens the toggle links thus bring ingthe foot 2% down onto the pile of sheets and raising the combing wheel into inactive" Position-1 The cam 6 raisesthe presser foot and combing wheel andholds them in raisec. position during the delivery of the sheet and while the cut-out mechanism' is re-setg and then again lowers the combing wheel onto. the pile. As thus far described the mechanism corresponds to the mechanism shown and described in the above patent.

In applying. the preferred form of the invention to this anachine a blower nozzle 44:

isarranged to direct a blast of air against I tion when the combing wheel is again low-2 ered upon the pile.

As shown thenozzle as is held in a clip46 secured on the end, of a rod 48 by a thumb nut 50 so thatthe nozzle may bevertieally adjusted or swungin or out to bring itsdelivery mouth into desired relation to the top edge of the pile of sheets. The rod 48 is laterally adjustable in a bracket 52 in which it is held by a set screw 54 and the bracket is in turn secured for A continuous blast of air' cordance with the condition of the sheets 11 this part of the pile. The travel of the iir blast vertically of the edge of the pile will aso tend to separate the edges of the ndii 'idual sheets from each other so that the .lr will enter uniformly between the sheets ,sheets at the top of the pile to a depth substantially corresponding to that of the action of the combing wheels.

While it is preferred to automatically regulate the action of the blower or blowers by raising and I lowering the blowers as above described it will be understood that this. isnot essential and that the action may be otherwise reduced and increased at the end'and beginning of the combing interval or that other mechanism responsive to variations in the condition of the sheets being operated upon may be utilized for regulating the action of the'blow'erin accordance with the condition of the sheets being operated upon by the comber. What is claimed is: f l. A sheet feeding machine having, in combination, a comber for separating and [advancing the top sheets of a pile, means for blowing air against the edges of the sheets, "during each sheet separating cycle, and means for automatically regulating the action of the blowing means on the sheets in accordance with the condition of the sheetsbeing operated upon by the comber.

2. A sheet feeding machine having, in combination, a comber for separating and advancing the top sheets of a pile, means for blowing air against the edges of the I sheets during each sheet separating cycle,

and mechanism responsive to variations in and be uniformly distributed between the.

advancing the top sheets of a pile, means controlled by the top sheet for arresting the action. of the comber, and means for blowing air against the edges of the sheets during each sheet separating cycle regulated by the combing interval.

4:. A sheet feeding machine having, in combination, a comber for separating and advancing the top sheets of a pile, means controlled bythe top sheet forarresting the action of the comber means for blowing air against the edges of the sheet, and means for rendering the blowing means active at the beginning and inactive at the end of each combing interval. I

5. A sheet :t'eeding machine having, in

combination, a comber torseparating and advancing the top sheets of a pile, means for lowering the comber onto the pile, means controlled by the top sheet, for lifting the comber, and a blower connected to rise and {all with the comber. I I

6. A sheet feeding machine having, in combination, acomber for separating and advancing the top sheets of a pile, means for blowing air against the edges of the sheets, and means for automatically regulating the blowing means to direct a blast of air against the edges of the sheets, during each sheet separating cycle for a period which'is dependent upon thecondition of the sheets being operated uponby the comber.

'7. A sheet feeding machine having, in

,combinatipm'a comber for separating and advancing the top sheets of a pile, means tordirecting a blastof air against the edges of the sheets during each sheet separating cycle, and n'ieans for regulating the lnterval I during which the, blast continues by the combing interval of that cycle.

8. A sheet feeding machine having, in I combination, a comber forseparating and advancing the top sheets of apile, means for directing a blastof air against the edges of the sheets, and means for renderlng said combination, a comber for separating and advancing the top sheets of apile, and a blower for directing a blast of air against the edges ofthe sheets which is raised and lowered to regulate its period of action on the sheets in accordance with the condition olthe sheets being operated upon by the comber. I

' 10. In a sheet feeding machine having a comoer 'wheel and a controlling cut-out, means for successively combing the top sheets of the feathered bank into operative relation to the cutout, and means for wind ing the successive top sheets for an indemg interval of thecycle in each case;

FRANK L. oao'ss terminate period corresponding to the comb- 

